Loading and unloading apparatus



. Nov. 23 1926.

J. H. HUTCHINSON LOADING 'AND UNLOADING APPARATUS 2 e e h will ,6 e .mm2% Filed Mai7 19, lm22 Patented Nov. .23, i925.

tartar Wstierf..

LOADING- .AND UNLOADNG PPABATUS.

Application led. May 19, 1922, Serial No.

This invention relates to improvements in loading and unloadingvehicles, and applies particularly to mechanisms adapted to remove orreplace the loadcarrying platforms' of road or rail vehicles.

I am aware that many combinations have been devised from time to timewith the object of improving transportation methods by the use ofinterchangeable bodies mounted on or above various types of rollersystems, and also the various means devised for handling andtransferring said bodies, to and from the primary carriers on road andrail systems.

In the practice of my present invention apparatus is employed for thesolution of -this problem, and the specific embodiment of thearrangement of the several elements thereof will be hereinafterparticularly described so that others skilled in the art to which itappertains may be guided thereby.

In the drawing Fig. l illustrates the ground pla-n of a railway terminalwith a double traclrway lateral body conveyor interposed betweenrailroad trucks and extension goods platform.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the lateral body conveyor shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 illustrates the ground plan of a goods depot equipped with thisinvention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of Fig. 41- abbreviated in regardto scale.

Fig. 6 is an end sectional elevation, showing the construction anddetails of the roller combination evolved as best suitable for receptionof superimposed wagon body constructions, and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section of traverser rail. showing type ofadjustable synchronizing stops preferably employed on constructionsFigs. 6 and 7.

1A shows part of a connected series of interchangeable wagon bodiesmounted on guide rails 2 provided for the roller mounted body 1A to passlongitudinally from truck to truck. The rollers (preferably attached tothe body) are so distributed on their under side as to readily permit ofthe same bridging the gap intervening between truck and truck.

To surmount any difficulty that might otherwise arise from slightvariations in the floor height of individual trucks, the ends of thetraclways 2 are made to project downwardly as shown at 2A, Fig. 3, thus562,166, and in Australia une 17, 192.1.

providing an upward slope for the body rollers when contacting variablelevels.

For loading and unloading purposes, said trucks are preferably backed upto a dead end 3. interposed between said dead end and the goodsextension platform e (with extension trackways tashown thereon) is alateral body conveyor 5, preferably equipped with plural trackways 6mounted vabove 'standards 7 (Fig. 3) said standarcs surmounting wheels8, preferably equipped with case hardened roller spindles inside of thebore, to enable said wheels to readily revolve around the supportingspindles 9, and thereby travel along traclrways 10 placed upon the'ground at right angles to the direction of the surmounting pluraltraclways 6. Consequently when the connected series of interchangeabletruck bodiesl 1A are hauled from off said trucks, in any suitablemanner, on to the vacant-traverser traclrway fronting same, saidtraclrway in conjunction with its adjoining duplicate holding a returnseries of bodies, may be mechanically operated to move vto one side, bythe employment of any existing mechanical means, such for instance asrack'and pinion connections, or as definitely shown in Fig. 2, byreciprocating wire ropes 1li and 15, also indicated in Figs. 1 and 3,winding and unwinding around the drum 16 of a winch 17 preferably powerdriven, the Vfurther wire rope connection passing around a sheavepulley17A. Hence as one series of bodies is removed laterally away from thetrucks, a return series is being brought into the vacated position, andprevented from going'too far-by means of adjustable stops 18, soydisposed as to make their engagement with slots 19 synchronize with theexact alignment of truck traclways 2. with traverser traclcways 6, oralternatively, traverser 6 with goods extension trackways 4A. As shownin Fig. 2 the adjustable synchronizing stops 18 provided on both sidesof the traverser, are of the pivotal lever type.

lith reference to Figs. l and 5 showing` the operation of this inventionas applied to a. goods depot or such like, 22 shows a traclrway equippedmotor vehicle with its empty body Z3 passing along raised trackway 24 tothe goods stored at rear, whilst the lateral conveyor 25 with a loadedbody 26 mounted thereon is brought into alignment with the motors bodycarrying track- Cil way, on to which it is pushed or drawn,

thereby releasing the road transport vehicle 22 toi' further service,While body'23 is being loaded-to await its turn on lateral traverser forbody ez-Lchanging purposes.

To permit oi body loading; and unloading);

being readilyperiormed on any part olf the structed preferably oi"timber` .vith suitable metal trackivays attached tothe upper partthereof, for the guidance oi interchangeable body rollers.

As adifliculty will arise `(as the available floor space becomes limitedby the stacking thereon oi the incoming goods) it the slidable loading;`and unloading supports 27 vvere made in one length, it is thereforeobvious that l overcome this encumbrance, by constructing them in shortsections, thereby also making them more ivieldy for an eniploye to draglinto positie-ruby ineansot a detachable pulling bar 28 which may bereadily hooked into staples or the like (not shown) provided on the sideand ends oi? each'shortsection, (side `guides tor articulated alignmentshown at 27A) thus with a minimum' ot labor permitting o't anarticulated traclvvay extension olf any length, being; formed by placingany number et short slidable *supporting trames, endivays on to eachother, to permit ofthe bodies beine' readily removed without any risk eterr-,shin p through thefloor boards to or 'troni any part oit the floorarea, to or 'trom the lateral traversing conveyor 25, which is adaptedto transversely convey the bodies over the center bar guide traclvvays29 secured to the floor, a litt (not shown) being readily installed,when necessary for transmitting the interchangeable Wagon bodies to andYfrom intermediate floors.

Fig. 7 shows a broken section oil. a traverser side member, illustratingthe construction and operation ot a simple type oli adjustablesynchronizing' stop, provided for halting the aforesaid body traverser'instantaneously when its traclnvays are iii alignment With thetrackivays of such primary road vehicles alternately, as may be employedabreast ot one another,I along;` the Whole i'ront, the elevation of therear en d oi' said spring` equipped motor vehicles, being easily andquickly accomplished, by abruptly forcing' the said rear end Vot thechassis (see Fig'. 5) against the steel tace 30, which advisedly extendsalong' the Whole front of a stationary goods receiving plattorni oi theabove hind, thus permitting.; one or more plural. ti'aversei's toreceive Vand exchange bodies betvveei several primary vehicles,operating; sii'nultaneously along the saine loading; and unloadingli'ontages oi the depot, thereby avoidiiigi'l the delay olfV otherwisehaving' to await their turn for eilecting' au exchange'ot bodies.

rlhe 'torni or adjustable stop'used in tyl e, shown on the Venlargedsection of trackivay illustrated.

thereto (preferably to 'the ,o1 thereof) pair of guide brac-lieti a bardel f o rth as required, to the limits allowed by the check pins 85,thus when said sliding bar. is projected forward, e indicated by dottedlines, and the traverser moved alongV vthe depot trent, said bar willengage with the rear side (Fuij. 5) 'oi a corresponding tracltvvaytrame, carried by the primary section of body door mounted VVupon a`longitudinal body supportingip bar 38, the number of saidbars bein'ii'eiierably limited to two, said bars having attached at suitableintervals throughout their lengi'tl'i, ca 'tsteel clip bearings carryinga short stub spindle Li() surrounded by case hardened anti-frictionrollers di, Whilst driven on tothe tvvoends et thestub spindle 40, are apair of small diameter cast steel Wheels 42, machined accurately on theperiphery to ensurea smooth and easytransmission et the loadedbodies,said Wheels being)- preferably` riveted .to aforesaid stub spindles 40.

The special feature of this construction is the division ofIconcentrated load stresses, centrally between the supporting rollers,thus ensuring a unique flexibility, coupled With great strength.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a loading' and unloading apparatus, a platform having a sideadapted Yfor `vehicles to back against, the said vehicles havingremovable bodies, a carriage movable adjacent the side of the` platformand substantially parallel therewith and adapted to re-` ceive a vehiclebody, anda movable bolt in the said carriage adapted when the carriageis in a predetermined position to contact The two outside track-Way V-inembers ol' the travei'se.' having' attached n tlangres M33 carryingadapted toV be pushedbaclr;

the i above 'onnectioiimaybe oi the sliding rod iso with a vehicle tostop the carriage in a position in which the same is aligned with thevehicle so that the vehicle body may be moved directly from its vehicleto the said carriage.

2. In a loading and unloading apparatus,

a raised platform having a sider adapted for vehicles to back upagainst, each of t-he said vehicles having a fixed body portion and aremovable body portion, tracks on the said platform running adjacent theside thereof, a carriage mounted on the said tracks and adapted toreceive the removable body portion of a. vehicle, and a movable bolt onthe said carriage adapted to cont-act with the fixed portion of avehicle body to stop the travel of the carriage and to align the sameWith the vehicle so that the removable portion of the body of thevehicle may be moved therefrom directly to position on the saidcarriage.

3. In a loading and unloading apparatus, a platform having a sideadapted for vehicles to back up against, each of the vehicles having afixed body portion and a removable body portion, sets of Wheels uponWhich the movable body portion of each vehicle is mounted, tracks uponthe fixed body portion of the vehicle and iipon which the sets of wheelsof the removable body portion of the vehicle are mounted and adapted torun, a'

track on the platform adjacent the side thereof and substantiallyparallel thereto, a carriage mounted on Wheels adapted to run on thesaid track on the platform, and a bolt sliiftable to position in thesaid carriage and adapted to contact With the fixed body portion of avehicle to stop the travel of the carriage to align the carriage Withthe vehicle so that the movable body portion of the vehicle may be runoff the saine directly on to the saidcairiage.

il. In a loading and unloading apparatus,

a raised platform having a side against which vehicles may back up, eachof the vehicles having a fixed body portion and a removable bodyportion, Wheels on the removable body portion of each vehicle, rails onthe fixed body portion of each vehicle upon which the `Wheels of theremovable body por# tion run, a track on the said platform adj acent theside thereof, a carriage mounted on the said trackand adapted to receivea re-y movable body portion of a vehicle, and a bolt sliiftable to andfrom position in the carriage and adapted to contact ivith the fixedbody portion of a vehicle to arrest the travel of the carriage in aposition in which the saine is aligned with the vehicle so that theremovablebody portion of the vehicle may be moved directly from thefixed body portion thereof to a position on the said carriage.

5. In a loading and unloading apparatus, a raised platform having a sideagainst which vehicles may back up, each of the vehicles having a fixedbody portion and a removable body portion, ivheels upon Which theremovable body portion of each vehicle is mounted, rails on the fixedbody portion of each vehicle and upon Which the Wheels of the removableportion of the body run, a track mounted on the said platformrunningadjacent the side thereof and substantially parallel thereto, acarriage, Wheels upon which the carriage is mounted and which run on thetrack on the platform, rails on the saidcarriage, and a bolt shiftableto position in the carriage and adapted When the carriage reaches apredetermined position to contact With the fixed body portion of avehicle to stop the carriage in a position in which the rails on thecarriage are in alignment with the rails on the fixed body pore tion ofthe vehicle whereby the removable body portion of the vehicle may be runtherefrom directly to the said carriage.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN HAROLD HUTCHINSON.

